The present invention is related to a wind energy plant with a rotor, which is connected to a gearbox or a generator via a rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is bearing mounted on a carrier unit of the wind energy plant via two taper roller bearings in O arrangement, preferably via a bearing case. Each of the taper roller bearings has an inner race and an outer race.
From DE 103 51 524, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a rotor bearing for a wind energy plant is known. The rotor bearing serves for the transmission of bending and torsional moments of the rotor, wherein two taper roller bearings with case-fixed outer race and a downstream planetary gearbox are provided. The depicted taper roller bearings are realised as a pair of taper roller bearings, which has an outer race formed in one piece. The rolling bodies of the pair of taper roller bearings are arranged such that the rolling body at the rotor side intersects the rotational axis of the rotor at the rotor side of the bearing arrangement with a normal direction standing vertical to its rotational axis, whereas the rolling body at the gearbox side intersects the rotational axis of the rotor at the gearbox side with its normal direction standing vertical to its rotational axis. Taper roller bearings arranged in this way with rotating inner race are designated as taper roller bearings in O arrangement in the special terminology of this field. The use of the taper roller bearings in O arrangement with an outer race formed in one piece permits a very compact construction of the rotor bearing.
From DE 103 92 908 B4, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a wind energy plant with a taper roller bearing arrangement is known, in which the bearing arrangement has a first bearing ring splinedly fixed with respect to the rotor axis on a carrier unit, and a second bearing ring which is rotatable with respect to the rotor axis. The bearing has three rows of cylindrical bodies, wherein one row is arranged at the front side, and one row at a time on the sides of the inner race.
From WO 2006/000214 A1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a drive train bearing for a wind energy plant is known, in which a pair of taper roller bearings with divided inner race and an outer race formed in one piece is provided.
From WO 2006/072151 A1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, a bearing arrangement for a pinion shaft in a gearbox is known. According to FIG. 2, a bearing arrangement for a pinion shaft is proposed which shows two taper roller bearings in O arrangement, wherein the pinion shaft is additionally bearing mounted in the gearbox case via a roller bearing with spiral springs.
From the document DOE/NASA/203 66-2, NASA TM-82721, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, with the title: “Experience and assessment of the DOE-NASA Mod-1 200 kilowatt wind energy turbine generator at Boone, N.C.”, the bearing for a rotor shaft of a wind energy plant is known. FIG. 37 of this document shows a bearing for a rotor shaft of a wind energy plant with two taper roller bearings in O arrangement. In this, the outer race is formed in one piece.
The present invention is based on the objective to provide a wind energy plant with a bearing arrangement for the rotor shaft, which permits a good stability against bending moments and transverse forces at the one hand, and an adjustment of the bearing during the installation which is as simple as possible on the other hand.